The Guessing Game
by CrystallineMaple
Summary: A reader x Russia (Ivan) fic. Alfred and Ivan are both competing for you, meanwhile your overprotective friends Ludwig and Kiku are only making things more difficult... AU, COMPLETE
1. Character List

A/N- Yay for Hetalia. I'm sorry I'm writing all of these fics for Hetalia, but Hetalia gives me so much inspiration. owo And, it's a Reader/OC X Hetalia... if I screw and say 'I', know I mean, 'you.'

CHARACTERS. The characters will ONLY be called by their human names.

ALLIED POWERS- POPULAR

Alfred Jones- The most popular, most typical popular-boy-kinda dude. Has a crush on (Name). Closest to Ivan, and sometimes 'brotherly' fights with Arthur. Has a big ego.

Arthur Kirkand- Has an imaginary friend, but keeps that to himself. Somewhat quiet but can be the rudest. Is 'frenemies' with Francis.

Francis Bonnefoy- Basically the matchmaker of the school, fights with Arthur

Ivan Braginski- Has a crush on (Name), even though Natalia is in love with him. Always wears his scarf. People who dislike him call him 'Communist.'

Wang Yao- The quitest and most mature of the Populars, even though he does love Pandas and Chinese food.

AXIS POWERS- LOSERS

Feliciano Vargas- Scared of almost everything from Arthur to Ludwig to Roderich.

Kiku Honda- Quiet, reserved and likes manga.

Ludwig Beilschmidt- Made fun of for being a 'Nazi,' even though he's not, sworn enimies of 'The Communist.' How ironic. Also, practically (Name's) guard.

OTHERS

Roderich Eldelstein- Almost popular, but not quite.

Elizabeta Hedarvary- Likes Roderich and likes to cook.

Natalia Arlvoskaya- Creepy, considered a stalker, loves Ivan

Matthew Williams- Quiet, tends to hang with the Populars even though he doesn't like them. Then again, they hardly remember him.

Gilbert Beilschmidt- Ludwig's older brother, thinks he is 'awesome'.

Other Hetalia characters might be mentioned, but this is just the list of characters who play major roles.


	2. First Day Of School

A/N- Okay, this chapter is every so slightly Russia x Reader. I still haven't gotten who's-gonna-end-up-with-who, so if you want a final say... PMs are open. -C.M.

You open your (i/c) eyes and shut your alarm clock off. The sky is a dark gray, and it's raining heavily. What a great way to start the school year!

"(Name)," calls your mom from downstairs. "Let's get up! You don't want to miss the first day of school!" You can smell (favorite breakfast food), which gets you to shower a little faster.

As you eat your (favorite breakfast food), your mom cleans and tells you to go wait for the bus. After brushing your (i/c) hair and teeth, you take an umbrella out. Yay, high school. Especially at (High School), starting 12th grade will be interesting.

You find your friend Kiku on the bus and sit next to him. He doesn't have many friends besides you, Feliciano and Ludwig. And then you see Alfred.

"Hey, (Name)!" He calls, waving. "Sit next to me!" Alfred's the most popular guy in school, but you've honestly never liked him. Ivan, his best friend, looks hurt, but then goes to sit next to another popular kid, Francis.

You sigh apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Kiku, but I'd better sit with the idiot." You grab your stuff and shuffle over to the bus seat next to Alfred, slumping in your seat. This was so not how you planned the first day of senior year to go.

"I knew you liked me," Alfred said proudly. "I mean, who wouldn't?"

"I don't like you," you say coldly. "I just didn't want Ivan to give up his seat for nothing." You flinch at the words. Great. Now the weirdo might think you like Ivan.

"Ivan?" Asks Alfred. You almost scream. There went your loophole.

Alfred throws a pointed glance at Ivan. "Oh, so you like those kinds of people?" He frowns. "Wow. Funny, (Name). Didn't seem to be your type..."

"Maybe because it's _NOT, _huh?" You snap. Jeez, why did you leave Kiku? This was a disaster.

"Well, Ivan likes you. That Communist," Alfred hisses. "But whatever! I have the best chance!" You sigh, watching raindrops fall from the sky. Your (e/c) eyes study your surroundings. Typical first day of school.

Ludwig probably drove, who knows what's up with Feliciano...

"And I said, no way, Ivan. I mean, right? You just said he wasn't your type?" When you snap back Alfred's still blabbing about the 'Communist.'

"Well, neither are you," you reply, folding your hands tightly in your lap. You look desperately for somewhere else to sit. Even the creepy girl Natalia would be better than this. Kiku's already sitting by someone you don't recognize. Another outcast.

The only empty seat is next to Ivan.

_Seriously?!_

Well, here are your options, you think. Stay next to the most-popular boy in school who you hate or sit next to the second-popular-est boy in school who you can tolerate, even though that will convince Alfred of everything.

Silently, you get up.

Ivan looks up, suprised as you sit down. "Oh, hi, (Name)," he says. "Cold day, da?"

"Uh-huh." You look over at Alfred. Satisfaction isn't a strong enough word. Alfred looks scary-angry, his face turned bright red and glaring daggers at Ivan.

He takes out his phone and texts furiously. You curl up in your seat. "Um, so, what classes do you have?" You ask Ivan. He looks at his scheduele. "Well..."

"Hey, we have AP History, Biology and Trig together," you say, trying to get as much enthusiasm as possible.

Ivan smiles. "Da." His face darkens. "Why do you hang out with Alfred? He's stupid."

"I thought you two were best friends or something," you reply. Ivan shakes his head. "No way. Besides, he, um- I- nevermind." Ivan stammers and blushes. You laugh and take out your phone. One text. From Ludwig, your other friend.

_Seriously, (Name)? The Communist?_

Well, news travels around here fast.


	3. Not Like A Date

When you get to school, Ludwig is standing next to his car.

"Vow, (Name), I vould have expected better than the Communist."

You frown. "Okay, Ludwig. First of all, we're not together. Second, stop calling him a Communist! You don't like it when people call you a Nazi!" You didn't mean to spring to Ivan's defense, but you just did. Huh. "Besides," you add huffily, "how'd you find out anyways?"

"Vell, Alfred texted Arthur, who called Francis, who told Wang, who called Roderich, who texted Elizabeta, who texted Feliciano who told me!" He finishes angrily.

Well, news is a contagious pain.

"What do you even have against Ivan?" You ask. Ludwig stares at you. "I just- I- Feliciano said he vas worried if you hung around Ivan, and I thought so too..."

You facepalm. This place is more messed up than you thought.

-###-(Time skip for me!) Lunch

You plop down at your usual table that you've taken since freshman year. Feliciano, Kiku, Ludwig and Matthew are there. Matthew Williams, a quiet kid, sometimes noticed by his older brother but usually not. He's only a sophmore.

Ludwig snickers. "So you're not sitting over there, (Name)?" He jabs his head towards Alfred and his crew.

"No! I don't freaking like Ivan! Besides, he's not even at that table!" You blurt out.

"He's not?" Kiku asked. "Oh, you're right, (Name), he's not. Wonder where he is."

"Probably his friends realized how much of a loser he was..." Ludwig begins, but you stamp your foot on the ground. "Really, Ludwig? I don't understand what's wrong with him, alright? Stop bashing and start eating!" You sullenly dig into your (f/f).

Kiku, Feliciano, Ludwig and Matthew all look at each other, proabably thinking the same thing you are.

_What the heck is going on?_

-###- Trig, period after lunch

"Okay, Miss (Last Name), you'll be sitting there." Your teacher waves you towards a seat. More people file in, and finally Ivan. Your breath catches but you nonchalantly look away, pretending to watch the raindrops like you did on the bus with Alfred.

"And Mr. Braginski... right next to (Name)."

Seriously? Is he kidding? You think as Ivan sits next to you. No one really seems to notice, but a few girls look at you and whisper angrily. You glare back and mouth, _And what are YOU looking at?_

They look away nervously. Ha.

Ludwig is staring at you, his face in disbelief. Ivan frowns. "Um, is something wrong?" He asks, seeing your face. "Nah," you reply. Ivan shrugs and goes back to working. You frown deeply at Ludwig, opening your (f/c) bookbag and take out a piece of paper.

_Seriusly ur not my babysitter u no! _You scribble, sliding the note onto Ludwig's desk. He frowns and writes something, then hands you the note back.

_I know, (Name), but that guys a creep!_

_He is NOT! He's kinda nice k?_

_What happened to you? I told you you liked Ivan! Don't even try to deny it at this point._

You slump down in your seat and sigh quietly. Ivan looks at you and smiles. And you feel it. Just barely, so small you almost missed it, but you feel your heart lifting up and up. This is not good.

"Hey, Ivan," you whisper, poking him with your pencil. He looks up. "Da?" "Um, I was wondering if you'd wanna hang out sometime! Not like a date, obviously, but some of my friends and I are hitting the park today! Want to come?" You know that when you tell your friends they'll probably stab you for inviting the 'unauthorized popular Communist,' but you don't care.

Ivan smiles at you again. "Sure."

At least now you have something to look forwards to.


	4. It's Cold Outside

A/N- Omg, guys. I have seriously been working on this story everywhere. I'd type it on my computer, write stuff down, type it on my iPod and email it to myself... whew! Oh, and there's a backstory of why Ludwig and Ivan hate each other so much. And this chapter is longer than the others- I don't know if that's good or bad, ha.

"Vhat? Vhat? You invited Ivan?" Ludwig's shaking your shoulders.

"Ah, Ludwig, stop..." You exclaim. You two, along with Kiku, are walking to the park. Feliciano had to go to his brother's birthday party.

The day, even though there are some puddles, is perfect. It's the type of day where it's windy and cool, but when you stand there, the sun fills you with a feeling of warmth.

"Earth to (Name)," Kiku says. "Ivan's over there."

"Eh?!" You try not to show too much enthusiasm, but you're super excited to see Ivan.

Why?

You don't know.

"Hey! Ivan!" You call, waving him over. He looks suprised and then smiles. "(Name), nice day, da?" Ludwig scoffs quietly. You look at Ivan. "Yeah, so why don't you take off your scarf and heavy coat?" Ivan shakes his head. "No..."

Ludwig frowns. "If all you guys are going to do is talk about the vetter, I'm going home." "What, no!" You grab Ludwig's arm. "I don't think so!"

Ivan smiles again. His violet eyes meet your (e/c) eyes. You blush and he smiles nervously. Ludwig sighs and rolls his eyes. _Well, this is what you get when you go on a walk in a park with a 'lovestruck' girl, a quiet Japanese man, an annoyed German and a Communist_, he thinks.

"I'm going home," Kiku announces quietly and takes his leave before you can stop him. Ludwig mumbles something about having to pick up Feliciano and runs off quickly.

"What is with my friends?" You sigh. "I'm still here!" A quiet voice says from behind you and Ivan. Matthew! "When did you get here?" Ivan asks curiously. "Aren't you a sophmore?"

Matthew nods. "Well, I'm going to leave. Don't want to interrupt anything," he giggles. You sigh again and Ivan blushes. "H-hey, we're not"- He begins, but Matthew dashes off.

"G'bye, (Name)! G'bye, Ivan!"

You and Ivan sit down on a bench. A huge cloud has covered the sun, and you shiver. Curse Mother Nature!

"You're cold, da," says Ivan. He wraps his jacket around the both of you so you're cradled up next to him. You smile. It is a lot warmer.

So, of course, when times are great, leave it to Alfred to bring them down!

He jumps out of the bushes- yes, the bushes- and snaps a picture with his phone. "Ha! I knew it! Ha! So, what do you have to say for yourself now, (Name)?!" You open your mouth to respond, but an angry Arthur is tumbling out of the bushes.

"Really, Alfred? Just ruining their sweet moment- you idiot"- he untangles himself from a huge pile of leaves and branches.

"Wow, Alfred! So deseprate you're starting to stalk from the bushes, huh?" You call sweetly, not even bothering to move away from Ivan. Hey, it's cold.

Alfred goes bright red. "Ah! You saw me!" He turns to Arthur. "If you hadn't been so loud!"

"It wasn't Arthur," you yell back. "You screamed my name, how could I not notice you?!"

Alfred frowns and slinks away. "Arthur, I heard they sell cotton candy and corn dogs a few miles away..." "Miles? We just ate!" "Yeah, you cooked it..." Their voices fade away.

"Idiots..." You say, turning back to Ivan. "So, what's up?" Ivan sighs. "I just got a text from Ludwig."

"Oh, really?" You snatch his phone from his hands, reading the messages.

_If you touch her, I'll hurt you so bad you'll beg to die! -Ludwig_

"Sorry about that," you say. "Besides, he won't do anything to you." Ivan stiffens. "How do you know that?" He asks. "I won't let him," you say, then blush. Oops. Wrong wording. "Why do you two hate each other?" You ask before he can come to conclusions about what you just said.

"Well..."

-###- Flashback- the people in the story who are seniors are roughly 17/18-ish, so this was about three years ago when they were 14/15-ish-

_"Ludwig! Ludwig!" Ivan called, running into the meadow where Ludwig and Ivan normally met to hang out. _

_ "Vhat?" Ludwig asked excitedly._

_ "I like someone!" Ivan says, dropping down on the soft grass and rolling onto his back, scarf splaying out behind him. The sun shone brightly, the sky clear blue._

_ "Really?!" exclaimed Ludwig happily. "Who? Who?"_

_ Ivan laughed. "Well, she's in our grade, da. She's nice." Ludwig was shaking. "Who, darn it?!"_

_ "(Name)," Ivan said. Ludwig froze. "R-really?" Ludwig asked, trying to keep his voice from quivering. "Aren't you happy, da?" Ivan asked. "You've always been pressuring me to find a girl."_

_ Yes. Any girl but that girl, thought Ludwig. Unfortunately, he liked (Name), too._

_ And so the competition began._

-###- End flashback

So while Ludwig grew closer to you, but only as a friend, Ivan had becoe popular, but he was really only waiting for the right moment...

Isn't that what luck is all about?


	5. Happy Birthday

"Hey! (Name)! Wake up!" Your mom yells up the stairs.

It's Saturday - and your birthday! Ludwig, Kiku and Feliciano are coming over to go to the park and then to Feliciano's for pasta. "Your friends are here!" Your mom calls.

You drag a brush through your (i/c) hair, brush your teeth, get dressed and head downstairs. Your friends are sitting at the table. You smile. "Hey, guys! Wait. Gilbert, why are you here?" You ask, looking at Ludwig's silver-haired older brother.

"Happy birthday, awesome chick," he laughs. "Ludwig wanted me to come. Well, I'm going to head out now!" He clears his throat and leaves. Gilbird tweets. You smile.

-###- PARK

"Aww, guys, this is awesome," you say, stretching your arms as the sun hits you.

Kiku laughs. "Yes, well, we are best friends..." You smile, your (e/c) hair blowing in the breeze. For a second, you make eye contact with Ludwig. He looks away.

Of course, you think nothing of it. After all, you're just friends, right?

"Happy birthday," a voice adds. You whip around. "Matthew! When did you get here?" You say happily, hugging the sophmore. "You're- can't- breathe"- Matthew chokes. Feliciano laughs. "Ve! Hey! Is that Alfred?"

"What?" You immediately let go of Matthew and turn around to look.

Ludwig sighs. "Of, course..." You frown, brushing your hair behind your ears. "Matthew? What's he doing here?"

Matthew looks confused. "I don't know. He said he was hanging out with friends."

"Friends? There will be _more _of them? I'm too scared!" Feliciano exclaims. You shush him. "They're a bunch of chickens. Don't worry, Feli," you soothe.

"Hey! Alfred!" You yell across the park. He looks up and comes over. "So, fate must have brought us here together, yeah?" He asks happily. Ludwig rolls his eyes and Kiku coughs.

"Whatever," you say. "Don't you have, like, friends to hang out with?"

Alfred laughs. "Well, Arthur's still upset about the incident in the bushes the other day..." You frown. "Yeah, I'll bet he is. Really, Alfred? That was stupid. I bet you came up with it." You cross your arms. "And your other friends?"

"Oh, right, silly me," he winks. "You're probably wondering about Ivan, right?"

A blush spreads across your face. "You jerk! That's not what I mea"- "He's coming," Alfred interrupts before you can go off on a rant. He doesn't seem too angry, but his eyes are blazing.

Ludwig makes a growling, strangled noise. "The Communist is coming, _DA?" _"Wow, Ludwig, very mature," you retort. "Just shut up, okay?"

Ludwig sighs and looks away. Alfred laughs. "Wow, (Name), sometime's you're just so predicatable."

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?" You snap. Alfred pokes your arm. "There's your beloved Ivan," he sneers, pointing to the boy walking over. You feel like stealing a brick from a bench and smashing your head, but instead you just smile tightly. "R-right."

Ivan comes over to the group. A very angry, unusual and awkward group. He frowns and Ludwig and smiles at you. "Happy birthday, (Name)." "Thank you," you reply, not quite sure what to do.

Alfred sits down on the cement sidewalk of the park. "Why does nothing interesting, like, ever happen around here?" He complains, taking a mirror out of his bag and checking his reflection. (A/N- Okay, Alfred, the author won't even ask)

Ludwig clears his throat again. "Hello, Ivan."

"Hello, Ludwig," Ivan replies coldly.

This is not going well. _So happy freaking birthday to me! _You think.

-###- Time Skip to... um... Feliciano's House!

You are all munching on pasta Feliciano made. Ludwig, after much swearing, finally let Ivan come, after saying, "well, I guess it's your birthday". However, none of you wanted Alfred to come, so he just looked super embarrassed and said he had to hang out with Francis anyways.

Liar!

You laugh as Feliciano brings out a small birthday cake. "Make a wish, ve!" He says. You think for a second, and blow out the single flame.

"What did you wish for, da?" asks Ivan.

_I wished that we would end up together._

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true," you say happily. Kiku pulls out a knife. "Vhere the heck do you keep that?" Exclaims Ludwig. Kiku laughs. "Not important. Now, who wants cake?"

-###- Ivan and Ludwig's past, Part 2 (I might have these at the end of some of the chapters, ha)

_"Yeah, make a wish, Ivan!" Alfred laughed. Ivan smiled and blew out the candles. "Happy fifteenth, man!" Alfred exclaimed, slapping Ivan on the shoulder. Wang stuffed his face with cake. "Mm, goodth," he said, frosting covering his face. Everyone laughed._

_ Ivan and his new friends ate cake, laughed, did whatever was un-boring, and Ivan didn't even find it weird that for once, Ludwig had not been invited._

_ The day after the party, Ivan sat at his kitchen table, watching the snowflakes fall. He tightened his scarf and shivered._


	6. Tomorrow

A/N- Chapters might get a bit less frequent- the dreaded exams will be upon us soon! D:

_-###- Ivan and Ludwig's past, Part 3_

_"Hey, Ivan! Slow down! You're going to fall!" Ludwig called. Ivan laughed, turned around and looked at Ludwig. "No worries, da! I won't fall!" He replied, teetering on the slippery rocks._

_ Ludwig and Ivan had been playing on a bunch of moss-covered rocks that served as steping stones across a shallow creek._

_ "Ah!" Ivan exclaimed, falling into the water. Ludwig cracked up. "What did I tell you!? Ha!" Ivan looked up, soaking wet. "Hey, Ludwig, don't laugh at me, idiot!" he exclaimed. "It's freezing!" "That's what you get for jumping around on a bunch of rocks," Ludwig exclaimed, running backwards as Ivan came to get him._

_ Yep, Ludwig had been cautious and Ivan had been do or die. Usually the situation ended up Ivan cold/ wet/ muddy and Ludwig was the laughing one. Usually._

_ "You know," Ludwig said after they had stopped by Ivan's house to get dry clothes, "I heard that Natalia likes you."_

_ "Natalia?" asked Ivan. "You mean, Natalia Arlvoskaya? She scares me, da. She looks like a weird old lady."_

_ Ludwig laughed, giving Ivan a thumbs-up. "You're on the right track," he said. "Why not give it a try?"_

-###-

You watched the gray sky. Things had been overcast since your birthday, and Ludwig seemed huffier than ever. Example- "Hey Ludwig," you said. "VHAT THE HECK DO YOU NEED?!"

You shudder, thinking about what could be wrong. Well, you couldn't come up with anything, so you decided to call Ivan. "Hey, Ivan," you say. "It's (Name). What are you doing today? Busy?" It was Sunday afternoon so you had plenty of time to kill.

"Oh, hi, (Name). I'm just hanging out with my friends. Do you need something?"

"Er- no," you say. "I just called for no reason, um. Yeah." You wish you had something other than that to say, but to be honest, why did you even call him? Suddenly, you hear a horrible screeching nosie from the other end of the phone.

"Watch the wheel, man!" You hear a voice yell, recognizing it as (you think) Alfred. "Ohonhon! I'm sorry!" You think you hear Francis, then more yelling. "Watch it, you idiot! You're going to have us all killed!" Arthur?

"Ivan, what's going on?" You ask. "Are you sure you're okay?"

You hear the muffled voice of Wang. And Francis' laugh. "I'm fine, I'm fine, sweeties. I'm just driving a bit unsteadily."

"You're in the car?!" You exclaim. "Da," Ivan says in reply. "Don't worry, (Name), we'll be fine."

"Hey, Ivan! Get off the phone with your stupid girlfriend!" Yep, definetely Alfred. "Shut up, da!" Ivan yells back in reply directed away from the phone. "Hey, (Name), hate to ask, but would you mind if I dropped by your house?"

You blush. "I don't mind," you say evenly, blinking your (e/c) eyes in suprise. "Come over whenever."

-###-

You hear a knock from the back door and open it. Ivan's standing there, leaves tangled in his hair and clothes. "Oh my God, Ivan. What happened?" You ask.

"Well, I um, escaped from my friends..." he trails off. "They were really getting crazy, da? So what have you been doing?"

"Hanging outside?" You try to answer, but it comes out like another question- and a lie. Ivan shrugs. "It's snowing... but whatever."

"It _is_?" You throw yourself against the window. Fluffy white flakes are falling down to the ground, and half of a white blanket has already coated your (enter size) yard.

"Where are your parents?" Ivan asks. You shrug in response. "Don't know. Don't care. They're not usually ever home. I got used to it a while ago." "That's too bad." "I guess so. Hey- do you hear something?" You wonder. And you really thought you heard footsteps. Probably just your imagination, until you hear a floorboard creek.

"Who's there?" You call, getting nervous. Ivan looks shocked. "Ludwig?"

You stomp your foot. "Ludwig?! If you're there, just come out!" It works- Ludwig walks into the kitchen. "Hello, (Name), Ivan," he says curtly.

You sigh. "Okay, this is just getting too weird- people in the bushes, people in my _house. _That is weird. Why are you here, Ludwig?" "I just wanted to make sure he doesn't harm you," Ludwig says, obviously talking about Ivan.

"He's not going to hurt me! Get over it! Why do you even care?" You didn't mean to lash out at Ludwig, but this was getting ridiculous! Ivan was perfectly fine and nice.

"Well, because I like you," Ludwig says gruffly, looking up at the ceiling. "Ohhhh," you whisper, looking at Ivan. "Um, well, I'm not actually sure how to reply to that." Ivan frowns. "Yes... don't you like Ludwig?" His voice sounds crushed, as if he's expected all this time for you to just leave in the end...

"I'm sorry, Ludwig," you say, shocking them both. Ivan looks up in suprise and Ludwig slumps down. "But yesterday... on my wish. I think you know." You look at Ivan. He smiles. "Of course, da." Ludwig sighed and left. "No problem, (Name)," he had reassured her. Flashes of memories were going through his head. If only you knew.

_-###- Ivan and Ludwig's Past, Part 3 Continued_

_ Ivan flung his pillow at Ludwig's head. "You idiot!" He laughed. "Natalia is a total creep!"_

_ "Yeah, I know," Ludwig said, dodging the pillow and grabbing a handful of popcorn. They had crashed at Ludwig's for a movie. Gilbert smacked Ivan on the head. "Shut up, the awesome me can't hear!" Ivan stifled a laugh and was quiet for a little while._

_ They didn't know. Neither of them knew that that was the last time they would watch a movie together, that was the last time Ivan would be smacked by Gilbert, and the day after that would be their last day in the meadow meeting place. Because, tomorrow was the day Ivan met you._


	7. Snowstorm

A/N-Hay guyz! It's Melissa! CrystallineMaple-Sorry about her. On with the chapter. This might get slower because of exams AND I'm being pestered to work on _Moonlit Darkness._ And I think the Allies derserve more credit, so I'll be showing some things from how _they _see it.

-###- Francis' House

"Aw! Dang!" Alfred exclaims, throwing the game remote down. Francis laughs. "Ohonhon, it's your fault for being so bad at this level..." Alfred, Arthur, Wang and Ivan had met at Francis' house afterschool on Monday. Technically, they are supposed to be studying... but they aren't technical people.

"Guys!" Arthur exclaims, walking down into Francis' basement. "I made some cookies and scones! Want some? I've taken cooking lessons, so it's a lot better!"

Ivan shrugs. "It can't be that bad, da? Arthur, hand me a cookie." Ivan took a bite, dropped the cookie, and ran into the basement bathroom. Wang frowns. "He's picky," the Chinese comforted. Wang bit into a scone and ran off to the bathroom. Ivan came out and Wang rushes in. "Move, move, move! I ate one of the sconessss!"

Arthur sighed. "No improvement, huh?"

Ivan crashed on a couch. He loved hanging with his friends, but he couldn't get his mind off of you. Until Francis slapped him. "Ow, what was that for?" Ivan asked.

"You've just been sitting there for like five minutes staring into the distance," Francis said. "You aren't going home now, okay? We're totally snowed in." Ivan screamed in his head. Curse the freaking snow! Weren't they supposed to be in America now? School just started!

"Hey, you know, now that we're here..." Everyone whipped around at the sound of a girl's voice. "Ah! Natalia! How the hell did she get in here?!" Arthur exclaimed. Natalia laughed. "Relax... I'm just here to see Ivan..."

Everybody groaned. Geez, this girl was a hopeless wreck... (Belarus fans, don't kill me!)

Alfred grabs a pillow off of the couch to protect himself. "Get away, Natalia! I don't know how you got in here! We're, like, snowed in!" Natalia chuckles. "Just let me take Ivan and we'll be fine..."

"No! Get out of here!" Ivan yells. Natalia frowns. "Then goodbye... I'll see you soon!" With that, the creepy girl saunters out of the door right into a blizzard, humming to herself.

-###-

You sit on a beanbag in Elizabeta's room. Your good friend, although you felt a little bad for her because she was almost ignored by her crush, Roderich. Elizabeta looks out the window. "Woah, (Name)! It's blizzarding out there!"

"Blizzarding?" I laugh. Elizabeta closes the blinds and smiles. "Yep, blizzarding. So, tell me more about Ivan." You froze. "Um, uh, he's nice. Yeah, that's it." Elizabeta rolls her eyes. "You're obsessed with him and the only adjective you can come up with is 'nice?'"

"Pretty much," you reply. "Oh, hey, I got a text from him. It says -oh, God, Gilbert. Hang on, Elizabeta." You scroll through your contacts until you find Gilbert Beilschmidt.

_Stop threatening Ivan! _You text, hitting SEND. You're surprised when he answers back almost immediately.

_Sorry, (Name), but my little bruder hates Ivan... so...bye-bye. The awesome me has some studying to do. Unawesome._

"Okay, so apparently, Gilbert is threatening Ivan for Ludwig."

"Huh." Elizabeta frowns. "That's... Interesting. Well, let's go make some hot chocolate!"

-###- "Wow, the blizzard ended!" You exclaim. You had finally left Elizabeta's house (and had drank way too much hot chocolate) and was now in your own room with Feliciano, Ivan and Kiku. Ludwig hadn't come because he had 'something to do' or whatever. Oh well, you think. Kiku sighs. "That's good. I love snow, but not blizzards." Feliciano is babbling. "With snow, I can't get my nonna's pasta... it's really good... and today, I got coupons for spaghetti sauce..." "Feliciano," you interrupt. "Sorry, but, can you be quiet for a little while?" Feliciano shuts up and nods.

Feliciano is obviously scared of Ivan, because he's moved as far away as possible. Suddenly your bedroom door flies open. "UGH, AGAIN?" You groan, burying your face in your hands. But it's not Ludwig, like you expected. Ivan looks up, very worried. Feliciano shrinks behind your bed onto the carpet. "Hello, Gilbert," you say calmly. "What are you doing here?"

Gilbert laughs. "Duh, I'm here for Ivan!" You stare at him. "W-what?"

-###- _Ivan and Ludwig's Past, Part Four (Once again, Ivan is fourteen in this part)_

_ Ivan rolled out of bed, showered, got dressed and grabbed for his school stuff. "I hate Mondays..." he complained. "Ivan!" Ivan turned around. Ludwig waved his friend over._

_ "Hey, Ludwig," Ivan said, walking over to Ludwig's locker. "I'll see you at lunch!" Ivan headed to science. And then you walked in. First day of school, and he liked someone. You sat down right next to him and started reading your book._

_ "Hi, I'm Ivan..." he said. You looked up and smiled. "Hey. I'm (Name)." You went back to reading your book, but you didn't know Ivan was staring at you for the whole class._

_ -###-_

_ Years passed, until Ivan finally got the nerve to work up a whole conversation with you._

_ "(Name)!"You turned. "You're... Ivan, right?" You smiled. Ivan smiled back, but on the inside he felt like he had been stabbed. She didn't remember my name... he thought._

_ "Da. I was wondering if you'd want to hang out sometime?"_

_ You frowned. "Um, I guess so... but aren't you really popular? Like, best friends with Alfred popular?"_

_ Ivan cringed. And until the first day of twelth grade, he never got the courage to talk to you again._


	8. A Visit From Gilbert

A/N- I'm sick and at lack of inspiration, so I'm sorry if this chapter is just lazy.

"You heard me," Gilbert says. "I'm going to hurt you, Ivan!"

"What, no!" You grab Gilbert. "Stop, stop, stop! If you're not going to do anything reasonable, get out of here!" You grabbed Gilbert by the back of his collar. He slowed down. "Wait. What are you talking about?" He stares at you.

You narrow your eyes. "Oh, what am I talking about? Just that you burst in here and you're trying to attack Ivan!" You yell angrily. Gilbert looks at you like you're crazy. "But Ludwig said..."

"What did Ludwig say?" You ask, suddenly confused too. "This is a little confusing, but Ludwig came home yesterday. He said that you had told him to tell me to hurt Ivan. Something along those lines. So being the awesome big bruder I am, I came here to kick some Communist!" Finished Gilbert, raising his fist.

"I never told Ludwig to hurt Ivan," you reply, confused.

Gilbert tilts his head to the side. "Really? But he said that you hated Ivan." "I don't," you say simply. "Right, guys?" You turn around. Only Ivan is still there. Kiku must have sneaked out and Feliciano freaking jumped out the window to escape. Not. Good.

Ivan is glaring at you. "You sent Gilbert to come get me?" He asks quitely. "No!" You exclaim. "Of course not!"

"That's what it's sounding like..." Ivan trails off and looks down at the white carpet. Gilbert laughs. "Ha, ha, ha! Ivan, you are hopeless." You slouch down. "Well... you know _somebody _is hopeless when people start leaving through the window," you whisper. "Ay! Excuse me!?" Gilbert exclaims.

That moment the phone rings. _Thank God! _"Hello?" You ask.

"Hi, (Name). It's Alfred!" You almost drop the phone. WHY didn't you check the caller ID?! "Ah! You! How did you get my number? What do you want?!"

"Well, I was so mind-blowingly cool that I looked everywhere for your number! And I finally found it!" _Great, so now I have to burn my phone?_ Alfred continues. "Want to hang out sometime? You don't have a boyfriend, right? Okay let's go to the movies in one hour. I don't care if I have to freaking drag you! I'll be over at your house in one hour."

"Wait, no"- he hangs up. Ivan and Gilbert stare at you expectantly. Apparently, whoever was on the phone seemed important enough to slow down their attempt at strangling each other. "Erm- who was that, da?" Ivan asks.

"Alfed Jones," you snarl out between your teeth. "He's picking me up in an hour..." Gilbert stands up. "Oh _hell no_!" He exclaims. "C'mon, let's go to my house! You too, Communist." Okay, Gilbert might not like Ivan, but he definitely likes Ivan a lot better than Alfred. You frown. "Isn't Ludwig going to be there?"

"Psh, yeah," Gilbert says, brushing it off. "I'm so awesome I can handle it easily. Don't worry." Gilbert looks at Ivan. "After all, you've been to our house plenty of times." You blink. "Really? I thought you guys hated each other."

"We used to be best friends, da? But then we both, um, wanted something. Really only one person could have it, at least permanently, so, you get the point."

Oh. That's too bad. "What was it?" You ask. Ivan blushes and looks away. Gilbert laughs and waves his hand in front of your face, which you swat away. "Don't worry about it, (Name)," Gilbert remarks as all three of you head outside.

Gilbert whistles. "Looks like we're walking," he says. The road is coated over with ice. You stare at him. "How did you get here in the first place?"

"Walking," he replies. "Let's go."

-###- (in Francis' basement)

"Wow! Nice!" Arthur exclaims. "You got a date with (Name)? That's pretty sweet!"

"Oooh, my little baby is growing up, honhon!" Francis cries, hugging Alfred. "Hey! Get off of me, you idiot!" Alfred laughs, shoving Francis away. "I'm gonna leave now. See you guys soon!" Alfred puts his jacket on and swings out the door.

"Dangit," he whispers when he realizes he's walking- no use even trying to start up his car with all of the ice. Thankfully your house is only about half a mile away.

When he gets to your house, Alfred knocks on your (e/c) door. No answer. He waits for a while and knocks again. "Great! She's not coming by her will, then," Alfred mumbles. Unfortunately, the door's knocked, and Alfred's not just going to knock your door down. He circles around the back of your house into your (e/s) yard. One of the windows is open. (A/N- Nooo! Feliciano, look what you've done!)

It's on a top story, so when he finally claws his way up, Alfred finds himself in your (e/c), (e/style) bedroom.

Empty.

A/N 2- No Ludwig and Ivan backstory this time- sorry!


	9. Hockey!

A/N- Yay! I got reviews for this! ~3 Anyways, last chapter. I might make an epilogue, perhaps. Probably not. But to readers, reviewers, followers- Thanks! -C.M.

"Gilbert, thanks for letting us stay at your house," you say, sitting down on the couch.  
And so of course none of the other Beilschmidts are home except Ludwig. Great, you think, is it possible to disguise Ivan as a pillow or a plant or something?  
"VHAT THE HECK, BRUDER?!" Yells Ludwig as he walks in. "Oops." Gilbert looks nervously around.

Ivan's phone rings. You sigh. "Erm, h-hello?"

-###-

"Yo, dude! It's Francis! Your best friend, Francis Bonnefoy!"

"Oh, brother. Da, what do you need?"

"Nothin much. Just an angry call from Alfred Jones, so yeah! He says $& ! $& and $& %& you're a %#$ ! and"-

"Okay, I think I get the point."

"He said (Name)'s house was empty."

"Da."

"He's pissed. At you, who else would it have been?! So where are you right now?"

"I am- Uh, err... At Arthur's house."

"Right! Arthur's sick! You must be visiting him. Okay. And remember, if you don't get him tea and crappy scones he'll"-

"Yeah, I got it."

-###-

"-VHAT IS THE COMMUNIST DOING IN OUR HOUSE?!" "Nazi," Ivan mutters. "Chill out," Gilbert says. "Let's just"- "Nein!" "Ludwig, calm down! We're just here so that I don't get dragged on a date with Alfred," you explain. "Arrgh, America is such a strange place," Ludwig complains.

Knock at the door.

"Scheißen," Gilbert says.

"Come in," Ludwig calls. Alfred opens the door, taking in everyone and glaring. Mostly at you.

"Why weren't you at home?" he demands. "Why aren't you at Arthur's?" Alfred yells to Ivan.

"Well"- Ivan starts, but you cut him off. "Look, Alfred! I'm sorry, but give it a damn rest! I will _never_ like you! Not today or tomorrow or in a million years! And I swear to God, you stalker, if you don't leave me alone, I'll make you wish you had!" You finish and sit back down.

"Woo, that's my (Name)," Gilbert cheers, clapping. Alfred looks extremely embarrassed and backs out the door. "O-okay, (Name)."

"Alfred!" You call. He turns. "Yes?"

"There is this girl I know, however... She needs a 'hero' in her life."  
"Who's that?!" exclaims Alfred excitedly. You pretend to think. "Her name is... Her name... Natalia Arlvoskaya!"

Alfred looks outraged and humiliated and slams the door closed while you, Ivan, Ludwig and Gilbert crack up.

-###-

"H-hey, (Name), n-nice job o-of r-re-rejecting Alfred. H-he's really m-mad."

You turn to look at the boy who just spoke. "Who are you?" You ask. He looks indignant. "I'm Matthew!" You laugh. "Yeah, I knew thaaat!" Your phone buzzes.

4:09 _Ivan Braginski- Hey (Name) let's hang out! Hockey game 4:30. Bring ur friends!_

"Hey, Matthew, there's a hockey game, would you like"- "SURE! YEAH! HOCKEY!" He yells, pumping his fists in the air. You forgot he was from Canada, after all.

4:10 _(Name)- Fabulous. see ya in twenty._

4:12 _Ivan Braginski- tell matthew im gonna kick his butt._

-###-

The score is tied. Just one more point. The teams were almost even, with you, Ivan, Gilbert and Kiku against Matthew, Ludwig, Feliciano and Elizabeta. And then, by some miracle of godly forces, everything perfect and the planets aligned just so, you score the winning goal.

"Yay! I'd say you're almost as awesome as me," Gilbert cheers, and Gilbird tweets in agreement. Kiku smiles. "Well done," he says in his usual quiet voice, and Ivan hugs you. Since your phone always annoys you in the most awkward and perfect moments (it's like an unperfected lifesaver), it buzzes. You look at it.

5:17 _Mom- (Name) WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M HUNGRY! do u think i can cook?!_

5:18 _(Name)- too bad mom. cook yourself. make toast or something. im not coming home until tomorrow._

5:18 _Mom- NO what where are you_

5:20 _(Name)- im hanging out with my friends gilbert ludwig ivan matthew elizabeta then we're gonna go to her house. im spending the night._

5:21 _Mom- ugh you are a useless daughter fine ill just go order takeout._

"Arrgh, that b"- You stop as Ivan taps your shoulder. "Um, (Name), would you like to go get dinner...?"

You smile. "Sure! That would be great!" Yesyesyes! Ivan blushes and says, "Should we go now?"

You try to remain calm. "Yeah, I guess."

-THE END-


	10. Epilogue

- The Guessing Game -

EPILOGUE

You and Ivan had been going out for about three months now. You weren't going to get into all the fluffy details, but it was a nice relationship. Elizabeta was so happy because Roderich Edelstein had finally asked her out. Funny, right? Of course Gilbert was pissed... but he found some other girlfriend when he was on a trip.

Alfred actually did ask Natalia out. It was so ironic because she had been complaining to you about how you stole the love of her life. Alfred came up to you two, and right as you were about to shoo him away he asked Natalia to 'uh, well, hang out'. Even though she was a creepy, old-lady, weirdo stalker, you were happy for her. Pretty much.

Ludwig and Ivan became kinda-sorta friends. Okay, more like acquaintances. They weren't like they used to be, but they weren't yelling at each other when ever they saw each other. Even though that wasn't as entertaining. And even though you were dating Ivan, you never once sat at his table. It wasn't personal, you just weren't really in the mood to hear Arthur yelling at a French perv in a British accent while Wang showed Ivan pictures of pandas and Alfred rambled on about being a hero.

Matthew started joining your table regularly, although Feliciano often blurted out, "Who are you?!"

You also taught your mom to cook. Even though she was never around, at least now she could make something.

It was about 6:20-ish. You had no plans, even though it was Friday night, and you were just hoping that something would come up that would give you some sort of entertainment. You sat on the couch, as usual mom wasn't home, and you weren't expecting her home any time soon. You opened your textbook and switched on music on your iPod.

6:26 _Ivan Braginski- come over to elizabetas at 7! were all gonna watch a movie da_

6:27 _(Name)- okie dokie! whos coming?_

6:28 _Ivan Braginski- um, let's see. you, me, elizabeta, arthur, roderich, gilbert and matthew._

6:29 _(Name)- gilbert and roderich? this is gonna be a hell of a movie. and WHAT? ARTHUR?!_

6:30 _Ivan Braginski- you're right. and yes, artie's coming, he's cooking._

6:31 _(Name)- omg no. ok see ya soon_

You were really excited to see your friends- Friday night, right? You grabbed your bag and packed lots of food. You had a feeling your friends would appreciate it.

6:32 _Ivan Braginski- alright than. love ya little sunflower_

Sometimes guessing got you pretty far in life.

A/N- And it's over. I kinda had to make the epilogue... even though it was a short one. ;) I don't know why. Ha ha. On to Moonlit Darkness now. If you liked this story, you might like that one, it's also an AU Hetalia, but it's a lot more 'unrealistic', I guess I could say.


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